Crumbling Basements Cutting Into Town Tax Collections

Dozens of local towns identified by the NBC Connecticut Troubleshooters are losing critical tax revenue because of the state's crumbling concrete crisis.

(Published Friday, Feb. 16, 2018)

Dozens of local towns identified by the NBC Connecticut Troubleshooters are losing critical tax revenue because of the state's crumbling concrete crisis.

There’s growing number of homes across the state with cracking foundations due to a mineral in the concrete used is causing the material to crack from the inside out. Because hundreds of these homes are now damaged, they are worth less and lower home values translate to less property tax revenue for local towns.

The Williams are among hundreds of households with crumbling basements who have had the value of their homes lowered because of the damage. This is resulting in the loss of thousands of dollars in tax revenues for towns across north central and eastern Connecticut, like Ellington.

"The way I look at it, it's just the tip of the iceberg," Ellington First Selectman Lori Spielman said.

Spielman's town sits miles away from the now-defunct company that made the concrete containing a naturally occurring mineral, experts believe, caused hundreds of basements to crack.

The problem takes years to develop, well beyond the time that's allowed for people to make a defective product claim. Most insurers don't cover this damage, but so far, 678 homeowners have filed complaints with the state.

Data gathered by the NBC Connecticut Troubleshooters show seven towns have it even worse than Ellington. Willington is losing $99,000 in annual tax revenues, Stafford totals $103,000 and South Windsor will take a $330,000 hit.

It's alarming to state representative Jeff Currey, whose district includes South Windsor.